dj bean

Third line's a charm for Bruins

Chris Kelly is on pace for 34 goals, Rich Peverley has been a point-per-game player in November and Benoit Pouliot is finding his way while winning games in the process. Not bad for a third line.

The Bruins’ third line hasn’t consisted of the same three guys all season, but the trio of Kelly, Peverley and Pouliot appears to be developing something good. Kelly had a pair of goals in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Jets, and though one came shorthanded, both the first and second goals were set up by nice plays from his linemates in Peverley and Pouliot, respectively.

Injury circumstances aside, Claude Julien hasn’t had to make major changes to his lines since the B’s started winning again. Injuries and inconsistency earlier in the season led to multiple shakeups, but things have returned to form this month with a fairly familiar lineup.

Think of those three lines as being like well-known rock bands. Ask any Bruins fan about them and they’ll be able to identify each member of them with ease. This, of course, is because the Bruins – successfully so – have found units that work and that can stay together for an extended period of time.

Yet the Bruins’ third line, though productive, hasn’t been like the other three. While Kelly and Peverley have been mainstays on the line for much of this season, the third line is more like a power trio whose frontman and drummer you know, but without any real idea of who’s playing bass on any given night. This is because the healthy scratch has come down to a third-liner (Pouliot or Jordan Caron) rather than a fourth-liner.

Now, the trio seems to be hitting its stride with Pouliot as the third man, and with the results being far more positive than negative of late, it seems the line could stick together.

“Benny's playing fantastic,” Kelly said of Pouliot. “He's a big guy that skates extremely well, shoots the puck well, plays in the zone and plays the game right. He's an easy guy to play with and a joy to play with right now.”

Pouliot now has played in seven straight games, the longest individual stretch between either he or Caron this season. In the time he’s been in there, he can bring both the good and the bad that has made his young career thus far. He has his bright spots without the puck and can come up with a turnover, and his skill level is unquestioned. Yet he also has his lapses and he can take frustrating penalties. He’s still coming along in the Bruins’ system, but it’s clear that Julien has faith in the 25-year-old.

Pouliot, who has only three points in 17 games, took two bad penalties Monday against Montreal, including a double-minor for high-sticking, and was benched as a result. While it would have seemed understandable had Julien gone back to Caron Wednesday in Buffalo, he stuck with Pouliot. Then, he gave Pouliot the opportunity to win the game in the shootout, which paid off. Julien has continued to keep Pouliot in the lineup and on that third line, and the latest result was a beautiful pass to Kelly to set up a one-timer and the game-winning goal.

“There’s things during a game that happen,” Pouliot said of the lowlights that have preceded the highlights. “You’ve got to deal with it. Just going back out there and [Julien] having the trust [in me], and playing us at the end of the games, too. It’s kind of fun to see the coach doing that with us. I’ve just got to reward [his decision] and not miss my chance and just play well.”

Last Tuesday’s game against the Devils wasn’t the last we’ve seen of Caron, but for now, it looks like this is the third line for the Bruins. Given the play the B’s have gotten from the group, it only seems logical.

“I like what I see,” Julien said of the line. “They seem to be working well together. … Benoit’s got a good skill level that we think we can tap into and maybe even improve with the way we play. It’s been a slow start for him, but he’s starting to come around.

“That line is starting to give us some real good shifts and like it because there’s times where you don’t always want a hard match, so when they put their top lines on and we’ve come off a power-play, you can feel comfortable about putting that line out there and still doing the job.”

Time will tell, but it seems the spot is Pouliot's to lose. If that's the case, the Bruins could eventually be looking at four lines of players who have had ample experience both playing together and developing chemistry within their lines. As it is right now, they seem to be doing well enough.

"We have four lines that are consistent and all can contribute offensively and all can play defense. I think you can have every line out there in the last minute up by a goal and know the guys are going to get the job done," Kelly said. "I don't know any other team that can do that."

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